Broken Heart, Broken Soul
by Taruyison
Summary: Retelling of the ending scene in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Highly recommended that you've played the game prior to reading this.


**A/N:**

After re-reading this one, I feel a sudden urge to rewrite it. Or at least edit a few parts here and there. I noticed quite a few typos while reading through it, and well... I'm not all too happy about those.

Anyway, here's the little piece that was originally a challenge entry. Enjoy.

-x-x-x-x-x-

 **Broken Heart, Broken Soul**

* * *

He scrambled up along the semi-loose boards sloppily attached to the five meter fence. He heard his companions' quiet chatter in his earpiece. They were talking about ice cream, yoghurt, milk, soda, among other things that he didn't bother listening to. He was focused on getting through these ruins to reach his goal. As much as it pained him, he had a big weight on his shoulders, and he had to take responsibility to fulfill his duties. A big task for a man his age, but then again, he wasn't an average man. He was more. What it was exactly, he couldn't put his finger on.

He pushed away from the fenced wall, twisting 180 and landed safely on top of the thick stone wall, a few meters higher than he'd previously been. Jumping from wall to wall, swinging from metal poles and balancing his way over concerningly weak-looking metal beams, he was slowly, but surely making his way to the center.

He didn't expect to end up in a huge church with walls, window frames and the roof decorated with gold and polished glass. Amazed, he just stood for a moment, admiring the professional handiwork. Whoever made this must've had years of practice. And a very long ladder. He snorted at his own stupidity. The roof and walls must certainly already had been done when the church was constructed. Yea, that's how stuff worked.

"Desmond?" he heard one of his female comrades, Lucy, call in his earpiece. Right, he was supposed to let them in too. Looking around, he soon found a humongous door with a quite complicated locking mechanism. It didn't take too long to figure out how to open it with his ability though. He sometimes relied heavily on his sixth sense. Maybe too heavy sometimes. Nevertheless, it was very handy in situations like this.

"Come on in~" he beamed as the heavy door slid open without a sound. Well cared for even though it was built in the middle of the ruins. Curious...

The three others entered the church and he couldn't help but snicker at the other male. Shaun's jaw figuratively fell from its hinges and his eyes grew wide with amazement. Desmond shut his ears off before the brit could start his lecture on ancient buildings, modern churches and all what was in between. One if the girls interrupted by commenting on the roof. It silenced him and he threw a glare at the ravenhead.

"You are a fascinating traveling companion, Rebecca" he said with a prominent sarcastic tone. She just smiled at him. Desmond almost envied her ability to both tolerate and silence the man's long and deep discussions (monologues). He had since long grown tired of them, and mostly pushed them out of his conscience.

-xXx-

It was a nerve wracking experience to descend into darkness on a platform after touching a small pillar that had emerged from a hole in said platform when he pulled a lever. He was quite certain where it was going to lead them, but Desmond couldn't help but feel uneasy on the way down. After seeing the strange, seemingly futuristic holograms of a woman up in the church, he should be. All of them had been a bit on edge during this entire excursion, but he was probably the most affected. He had a bad feeling about this place.

"If you wanna kill us mate, you gon' have to try a li'l harder than that" the brit exclaimed with a glare at Desmond. Through the sarcasm, the fear was heavy in his voice. They all then looked around where they were. The pillar in the middle of the platform, as well as the edges of it, were glowing in a strange light blue-ish glow; calm and soothing, yet unworldly unfamiliar. He didn't like it. Not one bit.

"We're here" Lucy stated. He chanced a look at her. Her skin was lit up from the glow from the platform, revealing and contouring the details of her face. His heart clenched in his chest. How long had it been since he'd had a chance to look - actually look - at her. Time slowed around him, and he figuratively fell to his knees. Her bright blue eyes were focused ahead, yet he drowned in the eternal life that seemed to be contained in them. Her eyelids fell close as she blinked, and her head slowly turned toward him. She felt his stare. He immediately turned his gaze forward. He had to focus at the task at hand. It would soon be over. Just a few more minutes, a few more steps, and he would be able to rest. If only for a moment.

Up ahead were two big statues of a woman wearing some kind of dress from an ancient culture, and a spear in her hand. Though their eyes were of stone and frozen in time, he felt as if they were looking at him, penetration his mental armor and staring into his very soul. It was highly unnerving.

Desmond's first guess was that that was all there was to this strange chamber, but was proven wrong when the ground shook below his feet. Behind the statues, the ground opened up, and pillars emerged from the hatch, forming a stairwell along the walls on each side of a risen platform.

"Now for that password. If Shaun's right, that is"

"I'm always right" Shaun answered to Desmond's accusation with a glare, obviously hurt by the other male's words. Or was he triggered? Probably both. Though it mattered little during their current quest. If the prophecy they had gotten a hint of in Desmond's genetic memories was true, then they had a quite much heavier responsibility weighing on their shoulders. Or more specifically: on Desmond's shoulders.

-xXx-

The said password proved to be right, and they soon found themselves in a bigger chamber, a thick pillar in the center. In front of them, below the heightened platform they were standing on, was a lit up area with another of those small, glowing pillars. The chamber in itself gave Desmond shivers, and he wanted to get what they needed and get out as soon as possible.

The object in question were positioned on a smaller pillar on top of the big pillar in the center of the chamber. It seemed to be hovering a mere inch from the pillar, emitting a faint glow that gave of the feeling of power. A kind of power that could and would kill whoever had the wrong idea about it. It was round, strange patterns carved into it. They called it The Apple of Eden. 'They' being an ancient species, known to them as Those Who Came Before - unworldly upper beings...

"The Apple seems to be in the center". Lucy pointed out the obvious, but Desmond was relieved to be distracted from his neverending, spinning, tumbling thoughts, even for just a second. "Time to find out where those temples are" he answered and turned to look at her. She looked back at him with a smile, and he felt his heart pound and legs grow weak. He never wanted to look away from those bright blue eyes. Her soft skin, perfect lips and straight nose. He could look at her for hours without growing tired of her features. Even if the world were coming to an end, he would be fine with it. Right there and then, nothing mattered.

He was about to open his mouth, lean in, reach his hand up, or anything to prolong this moment when Shaun cleared his throat. Desmond felt his glare on his back, but didn't look back, and went right ahead to proceed with his task.

The strange hologram that wasn't actually a hologram appeared and spoke as he jumped between glowing pillars, and shivers trailed down his spine over and over, but the others seemed completely unphased by it. He later asked if they had heard any of it, but they all shook their heads in a united negative. Shaun even furrowed his brows in a close enough to concerned expression.

"I can't believe we're finally here" Lucy mumbled as another stairwell emerged from the floor, making a path for them from the platform they stood on to the large pillar with the Apple. Her voice had dropped an octave since she last spoke, and something with the way she said it made Desmond feel uneasy. As he chanced a look at her, he saw something dark in her eyes. His gut clenched uncomfortably, but he ignored it for now. It was probably just his nerves.

They ascended the stairwell, and as Desmond got closer, the Apple seemed to respond. It glowed the slightest bit brighter with every step he took, then emitted a bright light, and strange glyphs were displayed in thin air. It was fascinating, yet bloodcurling. All four of them gaped at the scene, three put of awe, Desmond out of- ...the creeping fear that made him want to throw his arms up and run as fast and far away as possible.

He couldn't though. It was as if the Apple called to him. Silently begged, craved, screamed to be touched. It commanded him. Helpless, he hesitantly obeyed. Shaun was blabbering about the different symbols displayed, but Desmond couldn't make out the details. It was just a muffled mumble in his ears. He was blinded by the Apple's command. He more saw than felt his hands reach up. Slowly, carefully; hypnotized.

The moment his hands touched the round object, time literally stopped around him. He was suddenly unable to move, paralyzed, commanded by an upper power. The last two months of time flashed before his eyes. The Animus, the memories, death, life, fantasy and reality. Lucy. Her soft, pale skin, sky blue eyes and bright smile. His chest clenched painfully as his sixth sense kicked in. And that voice, echoing throughout the room.

 _No..._

 _Not Lucy..._

 _Lucy! RUN!_

But she couldn't hear him. She was frozen in place. Those eyes glistering with life, yet that darkness deep within. He couldn't put his finger on it. Couldn't grasp the concept. He didn't want to believe. Not Lucy. A Templar...

He struggled to fight back against the overwhelming power of the Apple, but to no use. It was a losing battle. The harder he fought, the stronger it seemed to become. Almost like it was feeding from him. Devouring the strength he built up. Terror made the blood freeze in his veins. He was powerless. So utterly and ridiculously powerless. And he was about to commit the most horrible crime one could ever do. Not by his own free will, but her blood would forever be on his hands if the Apple went through with it.

Tears burned behind his eyelids before falling in rich streams down his cheeks. He was barely a few inches from her now, his blade extended and arm pulled back, ready to strike. His heart pounded furiously in his chest. Not yet, not Lucy. Stop! Please!

But his pleading was to no avail. His brown eyes locked onto her blue, and he drowned in them. His entire soul ached, for he knew there was nothing he could do. He couldn't win. He couldn't resist the Apple. The power was too strong.

He cried. Bailed his eyes out. Sobs turned into irregular gasps as he got trouble breathing. He watched with terror as his blade sank into the soft flesh of her abdomen. Her face twisted into one of pain. The flaming life in those blue eyes dulled before him, and he screamed. An inaudible, hopeless cry of complete devastation. Thick dark blood pooled on the ground. Then they fell. He didn't bother trying to get up. He couldn't. Every part of him hurt and ached.

.

He was broken.

.

.

 _One last look_

 _._

 _Lucy_

 _._

 _._

 _I'm sorry_

 _._

 _I'm sorry I never told you_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 ** _I love you_**

* * *

 **End.**


End file.
